# TOM September 07 Escudo



## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

Place to put your reviews for Escudo.


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## Big T (Dec 8, 2006)

Ok, I'll pop the cherry on this month's TOM review. So much has been written about this fine stuff that it's tough for me to add anything new. When it comes to VA/Per blends, this is about as good as it gets. The coin style cut may be a little tricky for new smokers-I just fold and stuff and that seems to work fine for me. It burns well and I get zero tongue bite. The flavors are mild and subtle. I think what differentiates Escudo from the other VA/PER blends that I've tried is a very pleasing chocolately after taste that I got after each puff. If you're a lover of heavy English/Latakia blends, then this may not be your cup of tea, but I think it's worth a shot regardless. The coins in my tin are rapidly disappearing.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

my favorite tobacco... unfortunately, my current open tin doesn't taste the same as all the others. nowhere near as "sweet VA" as i'm use to.

i'll try some tomorrow if i get time.


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## Big T (Dec 8, 2006)

Come on guys, I know I'm not the only one that's smoked Escudo this month...


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

Big T said:


> Come on guys, I know I'm not the only one that's smoked Escudo this month...


Looks like it, I finished my tin of it a couple months ago, I don't want to open up another right now, I want to see how much this stuff improves with age. But after all that this is definitely in my top five of tobaccos.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

Just smoked some out of a ten year old tin that I opened 5 months ago. Seems the flavor has diminished.....not as sweet as it once was. I should have smoked this stuff up faster.

That being said, I just scored a very old Cope's tin. I have a few tins of Copes Escudo, but this recent tin is VERY old. Looking forward to trying that. I will definitely post a review.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

IHT said:


> my favorite tobacco... unfortunately, my current open tin doesn't taste the same as all the others.  nowhere near as "sweet VA" as i'm use to.
> 
> i'll try some tomorrow if i get time.


i had some yesterday in a Sasieni 4dot bulldog. out of the same tin that i'm not happy with, it seems more heavily infused with perique than any other tin i've ever had of Escudo. the damn coins are nearly black instead of mostly bright VAs.

still rubs out well, packs well, smokes well, just too much perique in this tin and not enough of the sweet VAs.

if you don't know, this is my favorite tobacco of all-time, and i'm a little bummed that this tin must not have been seen by quality control and allowed out the door of the factory.

would i buy more? i've got about 10 tins now, some older, most newer (i bought some of Bruces old tins), but i still intend to stock up even more...


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## kg6smx (Aug 21, 2007)

Big T said:


> Come on guys, I know I'm not the only one that's smoked Escudo this month...


I tried it...And I liked it; it's on my "Buy List"


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## hamncheese (Oct 5, 2006)

Well I guess November 1 is a little late for the Sept TOM, but better late than never, right? I suck at reviews since I've only been smoking for a couple months, but here goes...

The aroma coming out of the tin is rich with some candied dark fruit smells being the most prominent along with the sweetness of the Virginias being the most powerful. The tobacco was relatively easy to pack once I got the hang of rubbing out the coins all the way. I'm still too noob to figure out how to pack this tobacco by just folding up the coins or balling them up or whatever. Anyway, the flavor is very well balanced. The Virginias are bright and sweet, but the Perique balances out the profile quite well. There's almost no bite and the tobacco burns evenly in the bowl. Good stuff. I can see why this is a common favorite. This tin won't last too much longer. p


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

Sorry I hadn't tried this as of September but I just popped a tin of it a couple of nights ago. It is a tin from 2004 that was gifted to me by a fellow brother of the briar who's been at this for quite a while. When I first opened it and sniffed it smelled dark and fruity, much like raisins or dried dates. 

I was a bit confused by the whole coin fold and stuff method so I just decided to loosely rub this out. I packed it and lit it up. Man, what a treasure! This is the best VaPer blend that I've tried yet. Not sure if I'm spoiled by having the older tin but I'm definitely going to pick some of this up this weekend at Low Country Tobacco/smokingpipes.com when I'm driving through Myrtle Beach. 

This blend produces a lot of smoke. It burns like a dream and it doesn't require a lot of relights. Not sure if it is the tobacco or the cut that causes this.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who hasn't tried it yet. I now know why this is such a popular blend.


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## paperairplane (Nov 8, 2007)

Plenty of info out there, but packs easy, lights easy, smokes well... one of my faves for certain.


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## Alyks (Jun 2, 2007)

I have a tin of this sitting in my cellar. I'm trying to finish off my open tins before I start dipping into anything else. I can't wait. I'm tempted just to open it up though...must have...self...control...


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## CigarGal (Jun 2, 2006)

As I stated in another thread, I opened my tin of Escudo and the seal had been broken by a dent in the can. I had this can for a year so the tobacco was really dried out. I pulled a few medallions out and tried to fold them but they just crumbled-I smoked it anyway

It was a great smoke! True-it burned a bit hot and fast-no relights needed-but the aroma was sure nice and I loved the flavor. I am going to order a new tin so I can try this one under better conditions. My order of vapers came in yesterday so I will open the Solani and try it next.

Anyway I can reconstitute the dried Escudo??


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

Marianne, there seem to be many ways of approaching rehydrating tobacco. One I have ended up having great luck with is to take a piece of paper towel that is about 1/2 the area of the tin, get it wet and squeeze it out as best you can. Flatten the piece of paper towel and place it just under the lid of the tin and close it back up. Check it the next day and for most cases this has been enough for me. With your tin that has turned into IHT-dust you may need to do this for more than 1 day, or maybe other measures will be required.

I have found that this was allows the tobac to gently and naturally absob the moisture.

Give it a try and let us know how this works with tobac that is this dry.
Good luck!


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

CigarGal said:


> Anyway I can reconstitute the dried Escudo??


what evan said, or you can get those little "humi-disc" things that you dip into distilled water.
my ACP Curley Cut that i got off ebay was dried out as well. not totally, but a good bit past where i wanted it. i stuck a single humi-disc in the ball jar for a month, and the tobacco is now about perfect smoking humidity.


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## CigarGal (Jun 2, 2006)

Thanks guys! I will try the paper towel trick tonight and let it sit until tomorrow night-I'll let you know the results.


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## glassjapan (Feb 15, 2006)

I just got done using this method written by Greg Pease...and it worked really nice for me:

"Put the tobacco in a bowl, and cover the bowl with a damp, clean towel, checking the tobacco every few hours. With flakes, it's particularly important to allow the tobacco to take up moisture evenly and slowly, so don't spray it, or put anything directly in contact with the tobacco that will localize the moisture too dramatically.

I've used this technique many times, and feel that it's the only way to have control over the final result, unless, of course, you have a vacuum chamber and a controllable source of moisture.  "

GL Pease, 2005-12-14


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## Slow Triathlete (Jun 14, 2007)

glassjapan said:


> I just got done using this method written by Greg Pease...and it worked really nice for me:
> 
> "Put the tobacco in a bowl, and cover the bowl with a damp, clean towel, checking the tobacco every few hours. With flakes, it's particularly important to allow the tobacco to take up moisture evenly and slowly, so don't spray it, or put anything directly in contact with the tobacco that will localize the moisture too dramatically.
> 
> ...


Do you know if this works better with hot water or cold water soaking the towel?


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## glassjapan (Feb 15, 2006)

I just used room temp distilled water and spritzed down a washcloth. Checked on the bowl every hour or so and worked really well! :tu


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

I used this methd once as well and of course it worked great. But it also gave me a feel for what needed to be done, therefore i was able to use the paper towel in the tin with success as well. The reason I went this way was so I wouldn't have to deal with the bowl, the towel, dumping then refilling the tin. Just much simpler for me. Besides I wanted to end up with a tin that I was likely to use so I was able to leave the paper towel in the tin and simply reuse again if I ended up not smoking the tin in the near future.

Scott, I used room temp. And I would maybe NOT want to use warm water, just in fear that the warmth might give foothold to some mold. Cuz there ARE ,mold spores in there, just like everywhere else. Hate to open the tin a week or two later and have it be all moldy. This is one case where you don't want to get that warm and fuzzy feeling.


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## CigarGal (Jun 2, 2006)

The towel in the tin seemed to work-the baccy isn't so crumbly now. I will smoke some later today and see how it taste. I cut out a piece a bit smaller than the tin and but it between the lid and the paper inside the tin so it didn't come in direct contact with the flakes.


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## Alyks (Jun 2, 2007)

Wonderful! Simply sublime. I decided to crack open a tin of this tobak about a week or so ago, and the coins are going fast. The subtle sweetness from the virginias, and the spice of the perique danced on my tongue like a well choreographed waltz. I highly recommend this to anyone.


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## Mandrakespain (Nov 22, 2007)

I tried it today for the first time and...not much really, do not know if it was the pipe (a biggi no name kind of squashed tomato) or my mood, or a certain alignment of some planets, but it did not taste much to anything, neither unpleasant nor tasty, I think I´ll give it a try again tomorrow in my Pete to look for some...taste?

Regards
Carlos


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## smokehouse (Jan 31, 2007)

Mandrakespain said:


> I tried it today for the first time and...not much really, do not know if it was the pipe (a biggi no name kind of squashed tomato) or my mood, or a certain alignment of some planets, *but it did not taste much to anything, neither unpleasant nor tasty,* I think I´ll give it a try again tomorrow in my Pete to look for some...taste?
> 
> Regards
> Carlos


 Are you related to EvanS  Just messin.

Give it anouther shot. Some of us here are really fond of it. Some are not.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

also, don't smoke any cigars or anything with latakia the entire day, those could really mess up your tastebuds.


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## Mandrakespain (Nov 22, 2007)

Well, having another go right now, in my big Peterson, today I only smoked some Irish Flake (different pipe, of course), and...more of the same, this is...not much, cannot find a lot of taste to anything....


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## hyper_dermic (Dec 17, 2006)

Well, finished my tin of beacon, Im down to my last flake of Solani 633.. 
And its been 1 year since i put away this tin of escudo.
Good enough reason to crack the seal and enjoy.

oddly enough, i never did get way into escudo.. alot of people just love the stuff.. somewhere along the line i got sidetracked by solani 633, and ive been smoking that for the past year along with the odd tin of beacon as a treat. I think its time for me to switch it up a bit, smoke something else this year, and give the solani and a shitload of beacon in the cellar, the next year or 2 off.

Ive got some fillmore also stashed away.. i know when that hit the scene the general concensus was that it was a tasty perique filled smoke.. but still young. 
Im at the 1 year stage, but i think i want to wait until 3-5 years before i crack the tin. if i had the forsight to buy more, i would crack one at 1 year to see how much of a difference it made. but alas, i only put away 2 or 3 tins... stupid me..

but i didnt come here to gabber bout my cellar and the pitfalls of cellaring tobacco. rather ive come to talk about everyones favorite vaPER "ESCUDO"

To start with appearance and packaging, Escudo gains full marks. after popping the tin with a coin, and lifting the paper veil, one finds several little coins, perfectly aligned in a circle. it looks quite appetizing.

The Tin aroma is a fine stewed fruit , mixed with a musty, almost bready VA smell.. its hard to describe, but i detect the same smell in Solani's VA products (Silver Flake and 633 both have this VA smell)
The stewed fruit is the major player in the tin smell, and its very attractive.
The coins themselves smell more like the VA... although when taken alone, the coins have much less oder than the group does in the tin.

The coins are thin cut and pressed quite well. They are pressed flat, dark with tan flecks. only the edges are frayed ever so slightly.

Since they are pressed in flake/coin form, i let them sit out a little longer than i would a ribbon cut.to test, i pull off a piece from the outside of the coin, if it seems too dry, then the rest of the coin is at perfect humidity.

I take 2 coins, place one on top of the other, and fold them in half, then stuff the plug into my pipe. i then take my tamper and smoosh the whole thing down 1/3 of the way. (i think 3 coins would have been the right number, 2 coins left the bowl too loose, this is why i smooshed it down so far. i then took the remaning coin and crumbled it up. this crumble filled the top 1/3 and was finally tampered down.

Lighting was a very easy affair. Since i let the tobacco have its time to dry, there were no moisture issues, the pipe lit and kept lit with minimal fuss.

*Early Impressions
The first couple puffs are very Mild, cool and very SMOOTH. I can draw in a overflowing mouthful of smoke, yet i can barely feel it.. just cool, velvety air... the taste is like a wisp in the wind, just a specter of sweetness glides by as i exhale. Somewhere in the far reaches of my nasal cavaties a hint of stewed plums are detected.
I begin to puff harder and faster... in a vain attempt to capture the sweet phantom. perhaps my sanity is in question, everyone knows there are no such things.. but i SWEAR to you! i tasted sweetess!! there can be no other explination.

At this stage of the game, one must use her mouth, nose, and throat as one. Circulate the breath around to hit as many recepters as possible to get the subtle flavors this tobacco puts out. small sips, circulated around seem to do the trick of getting the phantoms to settle down.
]just when you think you have an idea of what that flavor is! its gone.
If it werent for the very cool smoke, i wouldnt be able to puff as hard, i would have been burned and not happy with escudo. but since i was able to puff often, and play "guess that flavor" it was quite fun.

As the bowl burns down, it seems the phantoms tire of playing games, and i can apprecieate the flavors more. the smoke is stil very mild, a bit less cool, Its sweet for sure.... but not as sweet as some other straight VAs, THe fruity charachter develops from a boy into a young adult.. but he still lacks any pepper... or any bite whatsoever...

This next part, dear readers, is where i fall into deep sleep. Yes, being warm under the bankets on a cool day, mixed with a nice pipe, and a couple pain pills for my wrist, and off i go to the land of NOD.pxc 
This is where Pipes are much safer than ciggs or stogies. I can and have fallen alseep wiht my pipe a few times... pipes are nice and contained, so if u do nod off, chances are.. your not gonna burn the house down.. this cant be said of ciggs or stogies

So i wake up 2 hours later, a bit hung over... and looking or my pipe..
Lets see if DGT works with ESCUDO Relights are easy, but something has changed. For the WORSE,
FOr starters, the quality of the smoke has changed. its very DRY now. before it was cool and SMOOTH, before it wast irritating in the least bit.
Now its DRY and somwhat peppery.. i also have to watch out for bite. Its not biting right now, but i know waht that mischevious look in its eyes mean.. its gonna TRY to bite me.. .not now.. maybe later.. he says ill neve see it comin.

im done wiht this bowl but i hate to throw away tobacco... even if it is aggressive and haunted.
I decide to scrape out the top 1/4 of the tobacco, anything that has been charrred, and a layer under that gets scraped out of the bowl.

Final relight. Now things seem to have returned to normal.
The flavor is back but with major changes, the sweetness is almost all gone, The peppery bite has become KING and the VA has a dark dry flavor to it.
all the little subtile delicate flavors that were there early on have been sacked.

Well i look foward to my 2nd bowl, hopefully this time i can watch a slow evolution of flavors, rather than smoke one sweet mild tobacco, and wake up to a harsh peppey

OH, and as for aftertaste, it was very mild... didnt start until the 1/4 of hte bowl was smoked.. had a nice stewed plum taste.

hopefully the 2nd time around i wont nod-off and leave it there to spoil.

-hyp

Crap i just fell alseep writing this, my leg twitched, and the keyboard almost landed on the floor.

good night*


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